APRIL 7, 2015
WASHINGTON (WUSA9)
Pepco: Issue With Power Plant Transmission Line Responsible
For DC Power Outages
An explosion at a Maryland power plant is to blame for a
region-wide power outage that has impacted the White House, the Capitol, the
University of Maryland and other buildings in D.C. and Maryland on Tuesday
afternoon, according to an official.
Homeland security officials believe an explosion at a SMECO
power facility in southern Maryland caused the surge into DC - @byaaroncdavis
D.C. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
spokeswoman Robyn Johnson told the Associated Press that the outage affected
8,000 customers in the District.
Utility company Pepco says a dip in voltage was experienced
shortly before 1 p.m. — but that it was caused by an issue with a transmission
line.
There was never a loss of permanent electric supply but dip
in voltage caused equipment at some facilities to transfer to backup systems.
— Pepco (@PepcoConnect) April 7, 2015
Electricity in the White House press briefing room dipped
around lunchtime, but service resumed within seconds.
Power also went out at the State Department during the daily
press briefing.
Metro tweeted that several train stations were on backup
power.
MTPD units responding to assist at all stations affected by
power outages. No elevator entrapments reported at any station. #wmata
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) April 7, 2015
University of Maryland officials say their entire campus was
affected and the university closed at 2 p.m.
The Smithsonian tweeted that the outage affected some
museums, and they were evacuated.
Weather in the area was overcast, but there were no storms.
Airports in the area have not been affected.
There is a campus-wide power outage. Crews are working on
addressing the problem. Thank you for your patience.
— Wallace D. Loh (@presidentloh) April 7, 2015
Reports of a campus-wide power outage, we are responding to
stuck elevators. Remain calm if in elevator and use call phone unless emergent.
— College Park Fire (@CPFD) April 7, 2015
Please note, there is a massive power outage affecting much
of the area, from College Park to DC. Traffic lights are out in many areas.
— Brandywine VFD (@BrandywineVFD) April 7, 2015
We are not sure what has caused it, but as we receive
information we will pass it along to our followers. Please do not call the
station.
— Brandywine VFD (@BrandywineVFD) April 7, 2015
Metro is without power at many stations. Train operations
aren't effected, but emergency lighting is on at those stations
— Brandywine VFD (@BrandywineVFD) April 7, 2015
//----------------------//
D.C. utilities and homeland security officials are
investigating a power surge that temporarily knocked out power to the White
House, parts of downtown Washington and other nearby areas.
D.C. homeland security officials said an explosion at a
southern Maryland electrical facility is believed to have caused the power
surge that temporarily knocked out power to the White House and much of
downtown Washington.
The explosion was at a facility run by SMECO, a
customer-owned electric that serves parts of the District’s Maryland suburbs,
said Nicole Chapple, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency
Management Agency
Chris T. Geldart, director of the agency, said the District
experienced a broad power surge that left many downtown buildings dark or on
backup generation.
//---------------------------------//
Power Surges
Power surges occur when something boosts the electrical
charge at some point in the power lines. This causes an increase in the
electrical potential energy, which can increase the current flowing to your
wall outlet. A number of different things can cause this to happen.
The most familiar source is probably lightning, though it's
actually one of the least common causes. When lightning strikes near a power
line, whether it's underground, in a building or running along poles, the
electrical energy can boost electrical pressure by millions of volts. This
causes an extremely large power surge that will overpower almost any surge
protector. In a lightning storm, you should never rely on your surge protector
to save your computer. The best protection is to unplug your computer.
A more common cause of power surges is the operation of high-power
electrical devices, such as elevators, air conditioners and refrigerators.
These high-powered pieces of equipment require a lot of energy to switch on and
turn off components like compressors and motors. This switching creates sudden,
brief demands for power, which upset the steady voltage flow in the electrical
system. While these surges are nowhere near the intensity of a lightning surge,
they can be severe enough to damage components, immediately or gradually, and
they occur regularly in most building's electrical systems.
Other sources of power surges include faulty wiring,
problems with the utility company's equipment, and downed power lines. The system
of transformers and lines that brings electricity from a power generator to the
outlets in our homes or offices is extraordinarily complex. There are dozens of
possible points of failure, and many potential errors that can cause an uneven
power flow. In today's system of electricity distribution, power surges are an
unavoidable occurrence.